Physical Therapist Assistant
Associate Degree in Applied Science
Time to Completion:
Two Years
Schedule:
Day Classes
What You’ll Learn
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a healthcare profession focused on helping patients improve mobility, manage pain, and regain physical function. Physical therapist assistants work under the direction of physical therapists to treat patients recovering from injuries, surgeries, or managing chronic conditions like stroke, arthritis, and sports injuries. They implement personalized treatment plans, guide patients through therapeutic exercises, administer targeted physical modalities, and educate individuals and their families on home-care strategies. Studying physical therapy assisting equips individuals with the hands-on knowledge and clinical skills to make a direct, positive impact on patients’ mobility, functional independence, and overall quality of life.
Click here for Minimum Admissions (MAR)
Program Statement
The goal of this program is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of physical therapy practice as performed by physical therapist assistants (PTAs).
Outcomes
- Musculoskeletal Anatomy & Kinesiology
- Therapeutic Exercise Techniques
- Physical Modalities & Electrotherapy
- Functional Mobility & Gait Training
- Patient Assessment & Data Collection
- Neurological Rehabilitation Strategies
- Orthopedic Intervention & Care
- Professional Clinical Practice & Legal Standards
- Clear Communication and Active Listening
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Adaptability and Critical Thinking
- Time Management and Organization
Estimated Cost
Career Tracks
- Staff PTA (Outpatient Orthopedics, Acute Care, or Inpatient Rehabilitation)
- Geriatric (Working in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, or home health)
- Pediatric (Supporting children in schools, outpatient clinics, or early intervention programs)
- Sports Medicine (Assisting with athletic rehabilitation, injury prevention, and conditioning)
- Neurological Rehabilitation (Focusing on patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or managing conditions like Parkinson’s disease)
- Home Health (Providing one-on-one care and functional training directly in patients’ homes)
Curriculum & Class Schedule
Legend:
AComprehensive Articulation Agreement (This course is recommended for students transferring to a four-year university.)
LLocal Requirement
IInstructional Service Agreement
UUniversal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC)
GGlobal Distinction
RRequisite(s)
Disclaimer line: This is a suggested
list. You will consult with an academic advisor to develop your exact curriculum, based on your
interests and any credits you may already have obtained prior to arriving at FTCC.
Legend:
AComprehensive Articulation Agreement (This course is recommended for students transferring to a four-year university.)
LLocal Requirement
IInstructional Service Agreement
UUniversal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC)
GGlobal Distinction
RRequisite(s)
TECHNICAL STANDARDS
The Health Sciences Division Technical Standards are not inclusive; however, they provide prospective students with an understanding of the programs’ physical and emotional demands. The functions are considered essential requirements for admission, retention, and graduation, as they ensure that students can provide safe, competent, and effective treatment interventions. Accepted students will be asked to acknowledge their ability to meet these technical standards.
Click HERE to review the technical standards.
The PTA Program Financial Fact Sheet provides cost information for prospective students.
| JAN 2028 Admissions anticipated Pending approval from CAPTE, the program’s accrediting body | AUG 2028 First cohort anticipated to start Classes planned at the Mazie Woodruff Center | 23% Projected national PTA job growth Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2025–2035 | $60,389 and $67,540 Projected PTA Earnings Hourly wages typically average about $29.03 to $31.09 per hour. Can vary by region in NC (BLS) |
Criminal Background & Drug Screening Disclosure
Healthcare facilities that provide clinical experiences for Forsyth Technical Community College programs require criminal background checks and drug screenings. The healthcare facility holds the right to deny a student admission into their facility based upon the information presented in the initial background check and drug screening process.
Program Accreditation Candidacy
Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditationsupport@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org (https://www.fsbpt.org/)) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.)
Forsyth Technical Community College is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: capteonline.org. The program is currently operating in and seeking accreditation status. Submission of this application does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status, nor does achievement of candidacy status assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation. On May 1, 2027, the program will submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
PTA Program Faculty
Brandi Lipovsky, PTA, BSPTA, MHS – PTA Program Director, blipovsky@forsythtech.edu
John Elson, DPT- PTA Program Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, jelson@forsythtech.edu